Christopher Abbott Admits He Was Clueless on ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Set, Then Makes a Bold ‘X-Men’ Promise
Casting for the MCU’s ‘X-Men’ reboot has been one of Hollywood’s biggest events this year, and Christopher Abbott landed one of its most prestigious roles. He will play Charles Xavier, aka Professor X, when the film arrives. Now Abbott is looking back on his previous stint in a comic book movie, and Christopher Abbott’s ‘Kraven the Hunter’ comments are turning heads.
Abbott has been putting up memorable performances since his debut in ‘Martha Marcy May Marlene,’ mostly in bold, director-driven projects. His most recent franchise role came in Sony’s ‘Kraven the Hunter,’ where he played The Foreigner, a hitman who can hypnotize people with eye contact. The 2024 film grossed just $61.9 million worldwide and holds a 15% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Abbott has now opened up about that experience with remarkable honesty. Speaking with Josh Horowitz on Happy Sad Confused, he said, “I didn’t know what I was doing” on the film. He added that he never really understood what his character’s power was supposed to be.
He also said nobody on the project had a good answer for him, and he joked that he can’t recall what his costume even was. Abbott said he has “sort of buried that deep,” and he admitted he sensed in the moment that things weren’t going well.
The actor stressed that he has no hard feelings. He praised his castmates Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Alessandro Nivola, and said director J.C. Chandor asked him to do it and he wanted to see how the gears turn on a project of that scale. Abbott also joked that his friend Chandor “owes me big time.”
Horowitz asked him point-blank whether ‘X-Men’ will be better than ‘Kraven the Hunter.’ Abbott’s answer was blunt: “I will guarantee you that.” That is a confident promise from an actor who knows exactly what a misfire feels like.
Abbott said he is looking forward to the stability of a stronger setup this time. He is excited to work with director Jake Schreier and has deep roots in the franchise, recalling that he loved the cartoon as a kid and owned comics and toys. In his telling, this isn’t just jumping into a Marvel project for the sake of it.
‘X-Men’ is set for release on May 5, 2028. The screenplay comes from Joanna Calo, Lee Sung Jin and Michael Lesslie. Adam Driver will play Mister Sinister opposite Abbott, a fun twist since both actors broke out playing love interests on HBO’s ‘Girls’ without ever sharing screen time there.
‘Kraven the Hunter’ was the sixth and final installment in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, and it all but ended that experiment. Even so, Abbott earned praise for his creepy take on The Foreigner. That makes his candor feel less like an insult and more like a relatable look at what it is like to work on a blockbuster that never finds its footing.
Who’s next? #KravenTheHunter is only in theaters this December. pic.twitter.com/fuLWuh107J
— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) August 14, 2024
Marvel’s next era begins after ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Secret Wars,’ with the X-Men finally joining the franchise. Fans will be watching closely to see whether Abbott’s guarantee holds up.
Does Christopher Abbott’s honesty about Kraven the Hunter make you more excited for his Professor X?
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